Sunflowers. What would a summer garden be without them? We love them for the bold and brilliant vertical accents they contribute to our gardens; their seeds we bake for tasty, nutritious snacks; and their flowers beautiful in the garden and in bouquets. Pollinators love their flowers; birds love their seeds (if we leave them in… Continue reading 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Sunflowers

I will never forget the message on the answering machine. “Your mother has suffered a significant stroke…” It seemed like forever to drive the 45 minutes it required to get to the hospital. She had, indeed suffered a large stroke. Fortunately, she received quick and appropriate care and started getting back movement and strength in… Continue reading Gardens are the Best Therapy

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows I love hostas. I have gone through various phases of hostaddiction from the rather mild forms of never leaving a garden center without checking out their hosta selection and going to hosta conventions to the more obsessive forms of spending hours on ebay searching… Continue reading 5 Distinctive Hostas

I love industry events. They provide the opportunity to see old friends, make new ones as passionate about plants as I am, and satisfy my plant appetite (for a while, at least). I attended Darwin Perennials Day at Ball Horticultural Company last week. The skies threatened and even sprinkled a few raindrops from time to… Continue reading Perennials Rule at Darwin Perennials Day

Wow! I walked around the corner to the sunny side of our property and there it was – my fringe tree in full bloom. I stopped dead in my tracks and gazed at it. I planted it almost five years ago when it was quite small and here it was, now six feet tall and… Continue reading Fringe Trees are Fantastic!